Frenkel & Frenkel Blog in Dallas, Texas

City of Oakland Settles With Accident Victim

The city of Oakland has settled a lawsuit filed by a man who was catapulted through a glass door when a city van ran a red light in September 2012. The Oakland City Council voted unanimously to approve the settlement on the recommendation of council, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The city of Oakland has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was injured when a city van ran through a red light and struck pedestrians.

Accident DetailsOn September 28, 2012, a city van ran a red light at the corner of 14th and Franklin in Oakland, striking an SUV before hitting two pedestrians on the sidewalk. The SUV continued down the sidewalk, taking down a pole, tearing the bumper off a parked car and crashing into the window of a nail salon. The impact was so strong, a female pedestrian, Linda Smith, was knocked out of her shoes; a male pedestrian, Wanning Qian, was knocked through the glass doors of an art gallery. Qian suffered rib fractures, lacerations to his spleen and other injuries. It was his suit that was settled by the city, while Smith’s lawsuit, alleging she suffered a broken leg, collapsed lung and rib fractures, is still pending. Settlement Agreement In the settlement, the city will pay $2 million to Qian based on the recommendation of City Attorney Barbara Parker. She explained that the settlement would help the city avoid an “adverse jury verdict.” Although the terms of the suit must go before the council for formal approval, it is expected to pass without incident. When the negligence of another person is suspected as the cause or contributing factor in a car accident that causes injury or death, a personal injury or negligence claim may be in order. Contact Dallas-Fort Worth lawyers at Frenkel & Frenkel to schedule a free initial consultation regarding an auto accident where injuries may have been caused or worsened by someone else’s negligence.